2016 NBA Affiliate Players Added to NBA D-League Rosters

From late September to late October, NBA teams trim their rosters from a maximum of 20 players invited to training camp to 15 on opening night. The “affiliate player rule” allows them to retain up to four of the players that they waive.

Players designated by an NBA team as affiliate players are automatically allocated to that team’s NBA Development League affiliate if they choose to sign an NBA D-League contract.

Unlike in baseball, affiliate players remain free agents available for any of the 30 NBA teams to sign. Still, the designation is a vote of confidence for prospects. It’s an indication of which players NBA teams are interested in developing, allowing front offices to closely monitor certain players on and off the court, keep them within the same offensive and defensive systems using the same terminology and many of the same plays, and work on their skills with their own coaches.